Fürstenau International Flute Competition
🥇 1st Prize: €5,000 + concert engagements with the Münster Symphony Orchestra and GWK concert series
🥈 2nd Prize: €3,000
🥉 3rd Prize: €2,000
Additional distinctions may include:
🎵 Audience Award – for the finalist who most inspires the public during the gala concert
🎵 Special Prize for Interpretation of a Contemporary Work – sponsored by the Münster University of Music
The Fürstenau International Flute Competition was inaugurated in 2023 in Münster, Germany, honoring the legacy of Anton Bernhard Fürstenau (1792–1852) — the celebrated German flute virtuoso, composer, and pedagogue of the early Romantic period.
The competition is organized by Westfälische Kulturarbeit (gwk), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting outstanding young artists from North Rhine-Westphalia, in collaboration with the Münster University of Music and the Münster Symphony Orchestra.
Created to provide a prestigious performance platform for emerging flutists, the competition emphasizes artistry, individuality, and musical depth inspired by Fürstenau’s spirit as both performer and composer. The event also strengthens Münster’s cultural life and fosters collaboration between educational and professional institutions.
The inaugural jury in 2023 included distinguished flutists and educators Golo Berg, Davide Formisano, Stephan Froleyks, Anne-Cathérine Heinzmann, Carlo Jans, and Sarah Louvion.
Laureates of Previous Competitions
2023
🥇 Anna Komarova (Russia) – 1st Prize
🥉 Leonardo Daniel Hernández Mendoza (Mexico) – 3rd Prize
🥉 Luna Vigni (Italy) – 3rd Prize